Halle Bailey Gets Special Birthday Greeting From Jodi Benson, The Original Ariel

Beneath Halle's birthday post on Instagram, Benson was one of the thousands of well-wishers who celebrated the young actress. She penned a short but sweet message stating, "happy birthday sweetie! Sending you lots of love & blessings!" She also took to her Instagram stories posting another warm message and tagging the Grown-ish actress.

Before Halle played the live-action version of The Little Mermaid, Benson was the original voice of the 1837 fairytale book written by Hans Christian Andersen. Benson played the role in the critically acclaimed 1989 animated movie by Jon Musker and Ron Clements.

The TV star's fellow star and fairytale antagonist Melissa McCarthy also showed her much love by penning, "Happy Birthday you wonderful woman. So glad you were born. Xoxo." McCarthy plays the famous anti-hero and cephalopod, Ursula.

Music star Chloe Bailey let fans know that Halle has always been her little mermaid as she gushed over her on social media. The R&B crooner referred to her beloved sister as her "feisty angel and best friend," before proceeding to remind her of how much she loved the fairytale actress. Chloe showed her affection by writing, "God knew what he was doing when he placed you by my side in this life. You've been my personal baby doll since you were born. In my head, you're still my little baby that I have to protect and take care of."

More stars filed to social media with immense support and love on the singer's big day. Stars like Christina Milan, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Nicole Brown, and Michole Briana all gushed over her.

Over the weekend, Halle made an appearance at the happiest place on earth and had quite an encounter with a big fan. The 23-year-old documented her visit to Disney World and joined a special event that featured 100 students who are a part of the Disney Dreamers Academy.

In one of her posts on her Insta stories, Halle showed herself sharing a warm moment with a fan. The little girl could be seen nestling into Halle's shoulders as the actress lifted her up. The excited fan wrapped her arms and legs around Halle and have her a big hug.

While Halle's fan held on to her, the five-time Grammy nominee gushed emotionally letting the little girl know she was beautiful and sweet. A woman, presumably the little girl's mother spoke from the background noting that Ariel was her favorite Disney princess. This even made the actress more emotional as she continued to revel at the moment with her young fan.

On social media, the pop music crooner expressed her joy while letting fans know she met a beautiful baby who made her cry. The actress cherished the moment and it is safe to say that it would always hold a special place in her heart.

The star gave a recent interview where she talked about her role as Ariel. Halle made it known that she was very proud of what she had achieved. She recalled pushing herself so hard and working so hard for the movie. She stated, "So it means so much that I get to take on this new role of Ariel and, as a black woman, show other black and brown women and children and babies and men that we can be in these positions too."

Halle was quite open as she touched on the negative reactions received when she was first announced as Ariel in 2019. She recalled being shocked by the reception the news got. However, it was refreshing to see how her young fans took the reveal.

On her journey to portraying Ariel, Halle has had to ward off the negative aspects affecting her. In an interview with CNN, the Chloe X Halle singer faced scary and intimidating moments. However, McCarthy played a key role in building her confidence.

Halle recalled how the Identity Thief actress explained to her that she also had to learn to voice whatever she wanted. She noted, "She was telling me, ‘Yeah, I had to learn. I wasn’t always this way, and when you’re young, you’re timid.’” The star added that as McCarthy grew older, she become more confident.

McCarthy's advice did come in handy for the actress when she needed to speak her mind and take breaks when necessary. She relayed that her power within has always been there, she only needed the confidence to use it.

Halle has also teased more on what fans could expect as the date of release draws closer. The Do It songstress told Edition that the storyline has been made to be more than the original fairytale. The star relayed that she was excited about her version of Ariel, noting that they changed the perspective of just wanting to leave the ocean for a boy.

Halle noted that her live-action role was more about Ariel's freedom, purpose, life, and what she wants. The actress noted that she was happy about how Disney made the plot pivot. she shared that she was glad the production company updated some of the themes.

Playing Ariel did require Halle to get accustomed to a body of water. She revealed how she filmed under the sea for almost one year at London's Pinewood Studios. She also noted spending up to 13 hours in water and the harness.

Halle and McCarthy will play longtime opposites, Ariel and Ursula. Other stars in the movie include Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Javier Bardem as King Triton, and Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina. The voice actors include Awkwafina as Scuttle and Daveed Diggs as Sebastian the crab. The Little Mermaid is set to be released on May 26.

The Little Mermaid is not the only reenactment that Halle is featuring on. She is also gearing up to star as Nettie Harris in an adaptation of the 2005 Broadway musical, The Color Purple. The new movie will be released in theatres in December.